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Gillard vows to protect jobs under carbon tax

TONY EASTLEY: The Prime Minister says it's now or never for Australia to put a price on carbon.

Julia Gillard says if it doesn't pass Parliament next year it probably won't happen at all.

Delivering the annual Don Dunstan lecture in Adelaide last night she lumped the Greens - the very group she needs support from to get the carbon tax through Parliament - with the Coalition, labelling them the "extremes" in Australian politics.

From Canberra Alexandra Kirk reports.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Julia Gillard's in the mood for confessing.

JULIA GILLARD: Yes I did promise that there would be no carbon tax.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: The Prime Minister needs to get past her broken election promise before she can rebuild Labor's and her own standing with voters and gain momentum for a carbon tax.

JULIA GILLARD: If Australia does not adopt a carbon price in 2011 we probably never will. This is the year of decision.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Dogged by Coalition taunts that the Greens are pulling the strings in the Government Julia Gillard's now distancing Labor from the minor party that helped her form government describing them as one of the ''extremes'' in Australian politics.

JULIA GILLARD: The Coalition has surrendered itself to fear mongering and denying the power of markets.

The Greens are not a party of government and have no tradition of striking the balance required to deliver major reform.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Greens Leader Bob Brown says he's not too offended.

BOB BROWN: Oh look it's a bit of a political swipe in the middle of a very good speech I thought. I'm sure she doesn't mean we're at the same extreme as the Tony Abbott lot.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Like the Prime Minister Bob Brown won't say who came up with the carbon tax idea, insisting discussions in the multi-party Climate Change Committee remain confidential.

JULIA GILLARD: Welders and steel workers will build and maintain large-scale solar power plants. Plumbers and electricians will be re-skilled to install solar hot water systems and solar panels. And there will be new jobs too.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Green might not be the Prime Minister's favourite colour right now but Tony Abbott and Kevin Rudd celebrated all things green at a St Patrick's Day dinner in Brisbane last night as they did a year ago.

Leadership or the lack of it in Mr Rudd's case was the theme of their jokes.

Tony Abbott went first, picking up on Mr Rudd's recent observation that he was more likely to be appointed captain of the Brisbane Broncos than become prime minister again.

TONY ABBOTT: And ladies and gentlemen if John Howard could be Lazarus with a triple bypass what's to stop Kevin Rudd doing a passable impersonation of Darren Lockyer?

(Applause and laughter)

KEVIN RUDD: While the Irish and Australian prime ministers have experienced some disruptions in their personal career planning (laughter) over the last 12 months it's good to see that Tony has managed stability of employment. (Laughter) And I say, well done Tony!

(Applause)

And I know for a fact Tony that my good friends Malcolm and Joe are right behind you every step of the way. (Laughter and applause)

And let me assure you Tony that those pointed instruments they bear in their hands are simply exotic tokens of friendship (laughter) drawn from distant Pacific islands so show how much they care for you.

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